Gurlain Kaur Gaucha, UK Taekwondo champion, is set to make her Eastenders’ debut as Iqra Ahmed’s girlfriend Ash. 

Fans of Eastenders have been praising the show for its portrayal of a Muslim LGBT+ love story and are ecstatic over the inclusion of Gurlain. Her character Ash will be arriving in Walford on Albert Square on Thursday, 29th August.

Iqra decides it’s time to tell her grandparents the truth. She has a girlfriend, Ash. How will Mariam and Arshad react?

Ash is played by Gurlaine Kaur Garcha. Gurlaine’s first appearance in #EastEnders is on Thursday 29th August. pic.twitter.com/vaO4c1AENy

— BBC EastEnders (@bbceastenders) August 16, 2019

Gurlain’s arrival will come at a crucial point for the character Iqra as she decides to come out to her grandparents. When the character of Iqra was announced, she was dubbed “a force to be reckoned with”. On August 12th, she became the first confirmed lesbian character on the show.

Habiba and Iqra are fantastic characters – proof that, like new Ben, you have to give characters time to breathe, settle in and become their own. #EastEnders

— Duncan Lindsay (@DuncanLindsay) August 12, 2019

In a charged scene between her and her sister Habbiba, she said: “I do love someone. […] It’s a woman. Think dadi and dada will be alright with that.”

https://twitter.com/iqraxahmedx/status/1160998846048153600

Syed Masood, Iqra’s cousin, featured in a coming-out storyline in 2009. Recently, on 13th August 2019, the show revealed the secret relationship between Callum and an army soldier. 

Callum described the relationship in a heartfelt speech: “I remember seeing him for the first time, and I never felt like that before. I just didn’t know what it was, but I knew it felt good. I pushed it away because I didn’t know how to deal with it. I just wish I would have been brave enough to speak to him about it, and now I’m never going to get the chance.”

The soldier’s sister gave Callum the following advice, “Do one thing for me – Never forget him.”

Eastenders has been forging ahead with finding new and exciting LGBT+ story-lines that shine a light on overlooked aspects of the community. Back in May, Eastenders hosted its very first Pride Parade. 

The increase in LGBT+ characters is reflective of senior executive producer Kate Oates’ vision to make the show more inclusive. Examining the impact of faith and loss are areas rich in real-life relevance.